Remarks · 17 January 2025
Good Morning,
I am delighted that you have found time to join me in witnessing the swearing-in of three new cabinet secretaries, who are now ready to take up their duties and serve the people of Kenya. Without exception, all three of the new cabinet secretaries have extensive and diverse experience in both the executive and legislative facets of the public service. For this reason, I am confident in the skills and capabilities they bring to their roles.
I served with Hon Kabogo and Hon. Kagwe in the National Assembly when they were elected to the 9th Parliament, and Hon Kinyanjui later joined the Legislature in the 10th Parliament.
In addition to Hon. Kinyanjui’s tenure as Assistant Minister, both he and Hon. William Kabogo have served as chief executives of devolved governments. Hon. Kagwe, on the other hand, served in the Senate and was a cabinet member in two previous administrations. Both Hon. Kagwe and Hon. Kinyanjui have also chaired the boards of strategic national parastatals.
With their strong mix of leadership skills and extensive experience in political, legislative, and executive capacities, these cabinet secretaries are well-equipped to mobilise the machinery of government, drive them to deliver services to the people of Kenya, while steering inclusive development and economic growth that leaves no one behind.
I wish to remind all of us that two years and four months ago, we secured our governing mandate based on an ambitious plan to propel our nation toward a prosperous future. The Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda is now well underway, with intensive work being carried out across the country in all the priority value chains and cross-cutting enablers that constitute its strategic pillars.
Thousands of new housing units are being completed to bridge the affordable housing gap, while our productivity in agriculture and livestock has enhanced self-sufficiency in critical crops, such as maize and sugar. Community health promoters are actively delivering timely and quality primary healthcare services at the grassroots level, as we make unprecedented strides in universal healthcare coverage.
Similarly, the digital and creative economy strategy is delivering last-mile fibre optic networks and digital hubs in every ward across Kenya. Thousands of Kenyans have already tapped into the opportunities this sector offers, and we are only getting started. The Hustler economy is also undergoing an unprecedented transformation as we promote financial and regulatory inclusivity through the Hustler Fund and related institutional measures.
This ambitious transformation is unfolding in challenging economic times, marked by volatility in the prices of essential commodities, especially petroleum, global conflicts, geopolitical disruptions in supply chains, an oppressive debt crisis fueled by an unfair global financial system, and extreme weather patterns exacerbated by climate change.
These factors have complicated our post-pandemic recovery, constrained fiscal space, and diverted resources from development to debt repayment, disaster recovery, and climate action. As a result, our capacity to create opportunities at a pace that addresses unemployment for the growing youth population has been severely impacted.
In this daunting context, the people of Kenya have tasked us with the responsibility of undertaking a historic transformation. We acknowledge the complex and dynamic challenges before us, but we remain determined to see through the implementation of our transformation agenda.
This moment calls for extraordinary ability, strength of character, steadiness of purpose, clarity of mind, and devotion to our national values and principles of governance. It also demands unity, teamwork, synergy and goodwill within and among various teams and organisations that comprise government. The cabinet and the executive are no exception.
I, therefore, expect you to serve the people of Kenya with dedication, professionalism, fairness, and understanding. While we must be firm and effective in our actions, we should also approach our engagements with compassion and patience, particularly when communicating with the public.
We must also do more to minimise misunderstandings and enlist all citizens in the collective task of national transformation. With limited fiscal space and ongoing austerity measures, many are being asked to make do with less than expected. It is important that we consistently clarify the state of affairs and articulate our vision, embracing short-term austerity for long-term prosperity, while prioritising investments in the multipliers of opportunity and abandoning expenditures on consumption.
To articulate this position effectively, we must be transparent, accountable, and efficient in managing public resources. We must be excellent stewards of public funds, taking a strong stand against corruption and wastage.
As the implementation phase of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda progresses, we must get it right every time. I trust in your ability, readiness, and willingness to provide effective leadership and look forward to benefiting from your true and faithful counsel.
I urge you to live up to the oath you have just taken, every day: to obey, respect, and uphold the Constitution and all laws; to serve the people with honour and dignity; and to hold your office with the highest integrity. Most importantly, I hope you will strive to be the strongest and most reliable link in the chain of the Executive, not the weakest. I trust that you will be the officers we rely on for wisdom, strength, clarity, and courage.
For my part, I pledge to provide you with all the support, encouragement, and resources you need to excel in your duties and deliver for the people of Kenya. Thank you.